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Space & Planetary Science

Stealth "Open" FACA Meeting at NASA HQ

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
February 14, 2006

Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Notice of Meeting, Federal Register Notice

Editor’s note: This meeting notice states that the purpose of this meeting is to “provide advice and recommendations to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on issues within the field of astronomy and astrophysics that are of mutual interest and concern to the agencies.”

This ‘open’ meeting spans two days – yesterday and today – and is being held right now in room MIC-5 at NASA HQ. The meeting notice only appeared in today’s (14 February 2006) issue of the Federal Register. The notice was supposedly submitted on 9 February 2006 – far later than the two weeks required by FACA rules – unless exceptional circumstances warrant – with the non-exceptional excuse “Reason for Late Notice: Due to administrative complications and oversight.”. Either the paper work got lost or they forgot.

It would seem that the principals involved in this effort don’t take this committee’s effort seriously enough so as to allow the public, media, and other interested parties to attend this open meeting. No one at NASA, NSF, or DOE took any effort to let people know. Quite the contrary. Given the substantial cuts that NASA is implementing in space science this does not say much for transparency in the formulation of science budget issues among these affected parties. Nor does it demonstrate much concern for the researchers affected by these decisions.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.